One of the best resources available for researching subwoofers: Data-Bass

GOAL OF THIS THREAD
To provide an organized focal point for anyone interested in hearing AVS members experiences with the subwoofers they have owned through the years. A timeline of ownership and a brief summary of each member’s personal journey and lessons learned through experience is intended to assist others in avoiding buyer's remorse or a never ending case of upgraditus.

FORMAT

Timeline
Keep this short and to the point.

About My Journey
Tell us a bit about what you had to go through to reach sub satisfaction.

Lessons Learned / Advice
This is where you can expand on your "if I knew then what I know now" spiel in an attempt to help people save time and money by not making the same mistakes that you had to go through to reach your satisfaction level.

FAQ
If you always seem to get the SAME questions asked about your setup, post them here to avoid any unnecessary PM's.

When making an update to your journey, please be sure to click on your name in the consolidated list below. This will bring you directly to your original post with your detailed journey. We need you to edit your original post so people can reference your entire journey, not just your most recent upgrade.

About My Journey
Subwoofers have always been my favorite part of the audio scene. I remember when I was 9 years old my grandma took me to McDonalds for lunch one Saturday. I was chillin in the slide of the play palace when all of a sudden the entire plastic slide sounded like some sort of pressure vein. My vision was blurred for a few seconds and I didn't realize what was going on... until I noticed accross the street they were having a car audio SPL competition. So started my obession of subwoofers.

Over the years I've owned some small car steup's with my first serious one in 2004. Loved car audio, but eventially got over it when my passion for audio started evolving to the Home Audio scene. With my limited experience in the Home Theater environment, my first serious home sub was from Best Buy. My Definitive Technology Supercube Reference seemed like a good purchase at the time. The only other subs at the time really on my radar were the JL F113 and the Veoldyne DD18+ and they were WAY to expensive for my taste.

On to today. I got back into being active on AVS because I wanted to find other alternatives than having to purchase another DefTech Supercube Reference for bass. I started extensive research on AVS and found that the LMS Ultra is one of the best performing subs on the market today. A few videos of them in action convinced me that this was THE sub for me!

Updated 04-30-2013 to include links to the Dedicated room build sections that are applicable. The DD-18's and initial JL Audio Fathoms were purchased before I built out the dedicated space and so my HT Build thread does not reference these.

There were other subs along the way but the above were the most notable. I had quad subs on two different occasions and with very different configurations but was never completely happy with either of those setups.

The dual Orbit Shifters do everything I ask of them and more. I can't see ever upgrading subs again.

There were other subs along the way but the above were the most notable. I had quad subs on two different occasions and with very different configurations but was never completely happy with either of those setups.
The dual Orbit Shifters do everything I ask of them and more. I can't see ever upgrading subs again.
Thanks to Kbarnes for simplifying the format of this Thread.

I was, and still am, thinking about orbit shifters one day... Talking to Archaea and Luke it sounds like they are unrivaled. I'd love to hear them one day soon.

My apologies for the overly complicated format. The intent was for others read input from those that have reached bass nirvana, such as yourself, to help them skip the BS purchases.

Your post is a perfect example of what I brlieve would help out most people that are in the same boat that I was a year ago. Drueling over the JL F113 as if it was the end-all-be-all king of subs. Granted, it's a great piece of gear, I think you would agree that if you knew then what you know now you would have skipped over this purchase entirely.

Especially given that a single shifter, while comparable in price (MSRP $3,999ish) to a single Fathom, probably has enough output to rival all 4 of the Fathoms put together.

RMK,
Your post is a perfect example of what I brlieve would help out most people that are in the same boat that I was a year ago. Drueling over the JL F113 as if it was the end-all-be-all king of subs. Granted, it's a great piece of gear, I think you would agree that if you knew then what you know now you would have skipped over this purchase entirely.
Especially given that a single shifter, while comparable in price (MSRP $3,999ish) to a single Fathom, probably has enough output to rival all 4 of the Fathoms put together.

Actually when I bought the Fathoms the OS's were not yet designed so the point is moot. It is only recently that JTR, Seaton and Danley have started offering complete systems that do what I want done in my HT. The system I have today cost a small fraction of what I had "invested" back when I had the Fathoms.

You are correct that had they been available and/or had I known about these high efficiency designs, I would have skipped that expensive step in my systems evolution.

Actually when I bought the Fathoms the OS's were not yet designed so the point is moot. It is only recently that JTR, Seaton and Danley have started offering complete systems that do what I want done in my HT. The system I have today cost a small fraction of what I had "invested" back when I had the Fathoms.You are correct that had they been available and/or had I known about these high efficiency designs, I would have skipped that expensive step in my systems evolution.

I'm assuming the same would be said about your mains as well? Alas, that is for a different thread...

I'm assuming the same would be said about your mains as well? Alas, that is for a different thread...
So, given your first hand experience, would you say that my statement regarding 1 OS vs 4 Fathoms is generally accurate?

As much as I value a great subwoofer(s) the speakers are critical in a balanced high performance audio system.

Since I didn't compare them directly it's difficult to say. My feeling is 1 OS would have more output than 4 Fathoms but, 4 Fathoms properly placed might sound better (especially with music) than a single OS.

Not sure how I missed this thread. I guess I haven't been swaying outside the DIY section too often lately.

Timeline
Began like many others in car audio. I worked at a car audio shop for a few years while in school. I've had WAY too many setups to count them individually - but it's easily been over 100 different setups. I've used and tested offerings from JL, MTX, Rockford, Sony, Kenwood, pioneer, precision power, memphis, etc. I used to install in my free time for extra cash while in school as well.

Lessons Learned / Advice
For anyone like me that has an insatiable bass appetite but lacks the funds to buy enough commercial offerings to satisfy their needs, give DIY a try. It's not for everyone, it might even ruin your marriage, but man it sure is gratifying.

I started out with just surround sound and eventually heard a dedicated theater at a shop and was hooked. The first 4 subs were from 2001-2004 and the rest were from 2005-present. When I had the 3 SVS subs I thought it was great and then for some reason I wanted to just try a big driver in a horn. The amount of spl I got from 25hz and above was mind boggling but also missed the low end of the SVS subs(tuned to 16hz but went to 13hz in room). I wanted both and asked Ed Mullen what I needed to hit the same levels with the same deep end and the answer was at least 8 SVS subs so he recommended DIY and LLT so I researched it. I basically just went lower and lower keeping the same spl and trying different ways of getting there.

I learned that you need to know what your goals are(I said the same thing in the speaker thread) and if you don't then you will just continue to upgrade. I also learned that once you have enough spl for a given system the response and extension will determine the sound quality and if that is the same then the sub systems will sound more alike than different. Comparing one sub to another is totally different than comparing subs systems to one another.

For anyone like me that has an insatiable bass appetite but lacks the funds to buy enough commercial offerings to satisfy their needs, give DIY a try. It's not for everyone, it might even ruin your marriage, but man it sure is gratifying.

Dual BIC F12's
Outlaw LFM-1 EX
Outlaw LFM-1 Plus
Power Sound Audio Dual XV-15's
Presently, I have Dual Power Sound Audio XV-30's and I am completely satisfied.
I liked all the subs, but I wanted more, More and MORE!! and now I have it.

Reedvr,

I was able to hear the XV-15 at a GTG and thought it sounded great! 2 XV-30's = 4 XV-15's correct?

I can't promise anything yet, but it's possible I've reached my satisfaction level.
Just picked up my 16 18" subs from Stereo Integrity.
I didn't want any pics posted in this thread, but a few pics of the pick up can be found here.
I'll start a build thread soon.

If there are reports of an earthquake on the East Coast in the near future, I suspect it will originate from popalock's house!!!

Will deinitely be subscribing to that thread. Seriously though, do you expect structural damage to your house?

My journey so far:
Polk PSW10 (came free with my Polk rti series speakers and was a real POS)
Polk PSW505 (a step up from the above but I should have learned after the first Polk sub)
eD A2-300 (now we are talking, it was a revelation after the Polk subs)
PA-150 (bought it to play around with, still have it and am giving it to my brother-in-law)
HSU VTF-15H (a beast of a sub)

Now I am going DIY and am building 4 x 3.8 cu ft sealed subs using 15" Dayton DVC385-88 drivers and will be powered by an iNuke3KDSP.

If all goes well I plan on selling the Hsu and potentially building another 2 to 4 more of the above Dayton's powered by another iNuke. So 6-8 15" subs total.

I can't promise anything yet, but it's possible I've reached my satisfaction level.
Just picked up my 16 18" subs from Stereo Integrity.
I didn't want any pics posted in this thread, but a few pics of the pick up can be found here.
I'll start a build thread soon.

Humm, 16 18" drivers ... that sounds about right as long as the room isn't too big.

14'l x 13.5'w x 8'h
Forgot what that comes out to? Around 1,400ft^3 IIRC. My space does open to a hallway though, so it's not enclosed.

Wow, slightly over 1500^3 (check your math ) and only 16 of those 18"'s. That's a bit over 1 driver per 100CF. You're not going to be able to get spontaneous nose bleeds with those paltry numbers. You should double down and snag another 16 of those 18's just to be sure you've got it covered.

Wow, slightly over 1500^3 (check your math ) and only 16 of those 18"'s. That's a bit over 1 driver per 100CF. You're not going to be able to get spontaneous nose bleeds with those paltry numbers. You should double down and snag another 16 of those 18's just to be sure you've got it covered.

Remind me to invest some more cash in underwear companies... Popalock is going to be hitting brown note levels for sure